Altus Serre Chevalier 2025
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Edito – Altus Vallée de Serre Chevalier Biançon 2025

« The mountain offers man everything that modern society tends to forget. » (Boris Vian)

Altitude has never been so captivating, so alluring. The last bastion of freedom, the mountain offers the opportunity for escape, away from the fast-paced daily life. Nature reveals itself in all its strength, inviting humility and authenticity. It becomes a place for reunions, whether with family or friends. Some carry childhood memories, deeply rooted in their beloved mountain station. Everyone comes seeking the unforgettable, those precious moments that can only be lived at altitude.
The mountain serves as a muse, inspiring both athletes and artists, such as the photographers we followed on the journey through summits over 4,000 meters in this issue. They reveal with talent moments suspended in time, of rare intensity. More than just a vacation destination, the mountain offers a pluralistic experience. Skiing and the joys of gliding remain essential, but other challenges and ways to enjoy the altitude exist as well. Each at their own pace, drawing from the diverse range of activities on offer.
Like the high-altitude guides we met in this issue, adaptation is the mountaineers’ main quality. To the climate, to the expectations of visitors, to current trends. From this positive dynamic emerge new projects, new inspirations, and other ways to reinvent a constantly evolving ecosystem. Everyone plays a part in this change. Interactions between locals, visitors, and professionals open up unexplored paths, gradually shaping a new version of the mountain. A mountain that is alive, true to its roots, and looking towards the future.

Roland Claude Durand-Terrasson
Director of Editions

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NEWS

FIRST PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD FOR BRUNO PROIETTI

Photographer of sports, Bruno Proietti usually roams the Col du Galibier during the summer and the ski slopes in winter, camera in hand. But it’s far from the beaten path that his love for the mountains truly shines through in his lens. Spending countless hours observing what often escapes us, it’s with a portrait full of poetry that he was awarded the first prize of Abstract Art 2024. Yet, it’s somewhat by chance that his shot, discovered during the cleanup of a rather full hard drive, found its way into the competition! Encouraged by his loved ones, he submitted this image, part of the “frozen fantasy” series, and it captivated the jury. Traveling into the infinitely small, he stirs the imagination of viewers in his world frozen in ice, between shadow and light. Capturing the unseen, Bruno Proietti transports his hidden corners of nature from the High Alps to the U.S., showcased between New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.

THE PRESERVED HIDEAWAY OF UNCLE ÉMILE REFUGE

Hidden in Dormillouse, the only permanently inhabited hamlet of the Écrins park, lies the Uncle Émile refuge. Unique and steeped in history, this building is above all a love story between its owners, Stéphanie and Claude, and a family tribute. With 15 beds, the refuge welcomes groups, families, or seminars for a complete disconnection experience in the depths of the Freissinières valley. Accessible year-round on foot, snowshoes, or ski touring, this fully equipped lodge stands far from the hustle of the ski resorts. The restaurant is also open by reservation, allowing guests to enjoy a nighttime adventure in a peaceful, timeless setting. A unique escape within reach of all!

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THE CAFÉ SOLEIL CUP,
A NEW SKI RACE

The Café Soleil, the well-known restaurant in Chantemerle, is launching a new initiative that promises to make waves in the station: the Café Soleil CUP, a ski race organized in partnership with ESF. Scheduled for Saturday, January 18, this event will feature a giant slalom format on the Serre Chevalier slopes. The originality of the event, open to all, lies in its unique reward: the winner will walk away with their weight in draft drinks. A friendly concept designed to bring new life to the local scene of Chantemerle. In a station that blends residents and tourists, Café Soleil aims to create a moment of shared celebration, where everyone can gather with skis on!

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THE AUTHENTICITY OF OLD WOOD
AT CHALET BAYROU

When it comes to chalet construction, the current trend is towards the use of old wood with darker tones, featuring brown and reddish hues, in both cladding and structural elements. Chalet Bayrou has recently completed a chalet in old wood in Serre Chevalier. Since the frame is a key structural element in their post-and-beam constructions, the aged appearance is achieved through the technique of burnt wood. The larch used remains consistent with Chalet Bayrou’s other constructions, which historically source from the Hautes-Alpes. The cladding and logs are made from reclaimed wood, giving a very trendy rustic aesthetic. In perfect harmony with slate or metal, this touch of authenticity infuses a unique character into each chalet.

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Meeting

Meeting of Talents

Nils Allègre, Chiara Pogneaux. Two generations, two strong personalities, two champions of alpine skiing “made in Serre Che” shining on the white circus. For Altus, they share their views on skiing, their careers, and… everything else! Double encounter.

 

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Sport

Pierre Vaultier: Snowboarding as an Art

Double Olympic snowboardcross champion in 2014 and 2018, Pierre Vaultier is also renowned for his highly creative and committed runs performed at Serre Chevalier: Shapes and Reshapes. Experiences that inspired the Red Bull Dual Shapes competition held in January 2024. Here are the behind-the-scenes details.

 

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Nature

Along the Guisane

Near the Col du Lautaret, surrounded by the majestic high mountains and glaciers, flows a river that gives its name to the valley it runs through: the Guisane. Let’s follow the course of the water to uncover all its secrets.

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Architecture

Refuge du Clot des Vaches

In the 1990s, the idea of a mountain refuge in Serre Chevalier Valley emerged, located at the bottom of the Grand Tabuc valley. After 30 years of discussions, consultations, and consideration of changes in the glacial landscape, this project has finally come to fruition on the southern slope of the valley. Discover the new Refuge du Clot des Vaches.

 

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